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Azure Whirlwind
Azure Whirlwind is a character in Chiaroscuro Nights, an Exalted 3rd Edition Campaign. History Azure Whirlwind was born in the Near South. Growing up, Azure's family was slain when he was young by a warlord, one who died and thus robbed Azure of the chance to avenge them. Demonstrating his prowess as he grew older and became a mercenary, Azure drew the attention of the warlord Onyx Tortoise. Taking Azure on as a prized warrior, Azure was eventually dubbed Onyx's chosen champion. All seemed well until the arrival of Lily of the Clouds. Azure was drawn to Lily, the Onyx Horde's master of horses, who at first rebuffed him. One night, however, Lily revealed to Azure that the reason she disliked him was due to his apparent genuine loyalty to Onyx, who appeared to be a noble soul of sorts but was in fact no better than the warlord who'd killed Azure's own parents. Confronted with the reality of Onyx's actions, Azure was convinced by Lily to slay him. It was during the fateful battle that saw Azure kill Onyx Tortoise as well as dozens of the Onyx Horde that he became Exalted. In the aftermath over one hundred men and women lay dead, but Lily had disappeared. Ebony Raven, Azure's loyal scout and spy, later revealed information that suggested everything they'd known about her had been a lie. Gathering what few warriors remained of the Onyx Horde that didn't want him dead, Azure made his way to Chiaroscuro. Discovering the Tree of Glass outside of the city, the Azure Dragoons, as the new war band became known, claimed the Manse as their home. Azure then began to try and learn more about the woman he'd known as Lily, wanting answers for why she'd turned him against his former lord only to then abandon him. Stats Attributes Abilities Specialties Experience Health and Defenses Merits Ambidextrous * Level: 1 Azure suffers no penalty for using his off-hand. Demesne * Level: 2 Within the Tree of Glass is the heart of the forest. Anyone attuned to the location may regain an additional two motes of Essence an hour. Those attuned to it may also make a check (Perception + Occult, difficulty 3) to determine if any Essence was been spent within the Tree of Glass. Followers * Level: 1 Azure has a dozen followers under his command who guard the Hearthstone * Level: 2 With the Hearth stone known as the Memory Stone in his possession Azure may enjoy the benefits of the Tree of Glass wherever he goes, in addition to the addition powers of the stone itself. Manse * Level: 3 Azure controls the Tree of Glass, a Manse located in the forest outside of Chiaroscuro. While appearing on the outside to simply be a large tree, the inside is an elaborate tower, and the bark of the tree itself is highly reflective, thus its name. The Manse grants access to a Demesne and a Hearthstone. Martial Artist * Level: 4 Azure is able to gain the Martial Arts ability. Resources * Level: 3 Azure has wealth comparable to a talent or less per year in jade; 8,000 koku in cash; or under 5 talents per year in silver. Retainer * Level: 2 Azure has a loyal retainer, Ebony Raven, who serves as a scout and confidante. Intimacies Charms Wise Arrow * Cost: 1m; * Mins: Archery 2, Essence 1 * Type: Supplemental * Keywords: Uniform * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: None With skill and effort, the Exalt guides her arrow to its mark. The Exalt may use this Charm to supplement a withering or decisive attack, reducing the benefits of cover. The defense bonus of heavy and light cover is reduced by one, while characters under no cover suffer a -1 penalty to their normal Defense. In addition, after taking an aim action, the Solar may activate this Charm to strike an opponent in full cover. The Exalt shoots along an arc or angle that perfectly matches her opponent’s position. So long as there is some opening where an arrow can get through, Wise Arrow treats a character in full cover as if he merely has +3 Defense. Phantom Arrow Technique * Cost: 1m; * Mins: Archery 3, Essence 1 * Type: Reflexive * Keywords: None * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: None Palming a mote of Essence, the Lawgiver pulls a thorn from her heart and fires it at the breast of her enemy. With this Charm, the Solar may continue firing her bow even when she has run out of arrows. In addition, once per scene, the Exalt may suffuse a phantom or physical arrow with the import of one of her Intimacies. Doing so gives her attack a number of non-Charm bonus dice equal to the Intimacy’s strength, but also temporarily numbs her to that Intimacy. She may not use this attack again until she has spent significant effort in restoring or remembering the Intimacy, or in the case of a negative Intimacy, has been reminded of her motivation for her ire. Graceful Crane Stance * Cost: 3m; * Mins: Athletics 1, Essence 1 * Type: Reflexive * Keywords: None * Duration: One scene * Prerequisite Charms: None The Solar draws Essence through her pores and into her bones, suffusing and lightening her form and steadying her step. For the rest of the scene, she has perfect balance, and can stand or run on things too narrow or weak to support her normally, with no chance of falling or breaking through. She can run on a guy wire, stand on a crumbling parapet, balance on the tip of a pine tree, and perform many similar feats without needing to roll (Dexterity + Athletics). Monkey Leap Technique * Cost: 2m; * Mins: Athletics 2, Essence 1 * Type: Supplemental * Keywords: None * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: None The Exalt leaps with the speed and grace of a striking hawk. Using this technique, a Solar may automatically leap forward or straight up one range band. A Solar using this Charm can easily leap to the top of a twenty foot wall or cross a Nexus street over rooftops, without having to roll. This Charm counts as the Solar’s movement for the turn. If the Solar continues to leap to a different range band each turn, the cost is reduced to one mote after the first activation. Foe-Vaulting Method * '''Cost: 3i; * '''Mins: Athletics 2, Essence 1 * Type: Reflexive * Keywords: None * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: Graceful Crane Stance, Monkey Leap Technique Fearless in combat, the Solar leaps over her stunned opponent. At close range, if the Exalt has higher Initiative (before cost) than her foe, she may use this Charm on her turn, rolling Dexterity + Athletics against her opponent’s Evasion. If successful, she leaps over her target, creating an opening, and may make a surprise attack overhead or at their back. This Charm may only be used once per combat, but is reset by landing a decisive attack and building Initiative to 6+. Drifting Leaf Elusion * Cost: 1m; * Mins: Dodge 2, Essence 1 * Type: Reflexive * Keywords: None * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: None The Exalt slips away from an attack that would have struck her. When using this Charm, the Solar successfully evades an attack roll bearing successes equal to her Evasion. This Charm may be invoked after the attack roll is made. Terrestrial Circle Sorcery * Cost: —; * Mins: Occult 3, Essence 1 * Type: Permanent * Keywords: None * Duration: Permanent * Prerequisite Charms: None The Solar steps through the First Circle and is forever transformed. Upon learning this Charm, the Exalt gains the ability to learn and cast spells from the Terrestrial Circle of sorcery. In addition, the Solar learns one shaping ritual (p. 466) and one Terrestrial spell for free. The spell selected becomes the sorcerer’s “control spell,” and may feature in the anima iconography and be referenced in the mechanics of certain Charms. Tiger’s Dread Symmetry * Cost: —; * Mins: Presence 3, Essence 1 * Type: Permanent * Keywords: None * Duration: Permanent * Prerequisite Charms: None The Lawgiver is a singular and terrifying being, awesome to behold. Learning this Charm grants one bonus die to all Presence rolls and allows the Exalt to re-roll (Essence or 3, whichever is greater) non-successes on rolls to intimidate. In addition, if the Solar has activated Majestic Radiant Presence, a character must resist an automatic intimidate attempt before he’s able to attempt an ambush attack. This effect does not make the Solar aware of her attacker—it simply means that, as her assassin draws a bead on her from the shadows, her fierce look and deadly grace emanates forth to cow him. The intimidate action may only be supported by Charms that are ongoing or otherwise can be used unconsciously. Ox-Body Technique * Levels: 2 * Cost: —; * Mins: Resistance 1, Essence 1 * Type: Permanent * Keywords: Stackable * Duration: Permanent * Prerequisite Charms: None The bodies of the Exalted are much more durable than those of mere mortals. To help simulate this, an Exalt may buy extra health levels with this Charm. The purchasing choices are based on the character’s Stamina rating: At Stamina 1 and 2: One -1 and one -2 health level. At 3 and 4: One -1 and two -2 health levels. At 5: One -0, one -1, and one -2 health level. The Solar may purchase Ox-Body Technique (Resistance) times. If she increases her Stamina after purchasing Ox-Body Technique, her health levels automatically change to reflect the new rating. Body-Mending Meditation * Cost: 10m; * Mins: Resistance 2, Essence 1 * Type: Simple * Keywords: Mute * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: Ox-Body Technique Even when unconscious, the Solar’s body and Essence work in unison to knit wounds and mend broken bones. Roll the Solar’s (Stamina + Resistance) to speed her natural healing by a factor of (Essence x successes). Alternately, successes on this roll can be added directly to the successes of Wound-Mending Care Technique on page 342. The Solar must spend an hour at rest for this power to take effect, but the boosted healing lasts for one day, so long as the Solar remains at rest. Falling Scythe Flash * Cost: 5m; * Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; * Type: Supplemental * Keywords: Dual * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: None After taking a moment to icily judge the optimal point to apply force to an opponent, the White Reaper strikes without restraint. When used with a withering attack, Falling Scythe Slash doubles the martial artist’s Strength rating for calculating its raw damage. Alternatively, on a decisive attack against an enemy with lower Initiative, it adds the martial artist’s (Strength/2, round up) to raw damage. Revolving Crescent Defense * Cost: 4m, 1i; * Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; * Type: Reflexive * Keywords: Mastery, Uniform * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: None The White Reaper is most at ease when surrounded by enemies, turning their strength of numbers to her own advantage. The Revolving Crescent Defense cancels all onslaught penalties to the martial artist’s Parry against a single attack, instead converting each point of penalty into a +1 bonus to her Parry. Mastery: This Charm’s duration is extended until the martial artist’s next turn. White Reaper Form * Cost: 8m; * Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 1; * Type: Simple * Keywords: Form * Duration: One scene * Prerequisite Charms: Falling Scythe Flash, Revolving Crescent Defense The martial artist rears up into a grim and terrifying battle posture, regarding her opponents as little more than grass to be scythed down before her. She receives double 10s on all decisive damage rolls and can easily fight large groups single-handedly, treating the Drill of any battle group she attacks as one step lower for calculating their Defense bonus. Groups that already have poor Drill instead take an additional -1 Defense against her attacks. She may also move through the space filled by a battle group without needing to spend Initiative. More spectacularly, whenever the White Reaper incapacitates or crashes a non-trivial enemy, a halo of sizzling, silver-white Essence surges around her like a second skin. Damaging a battle group also grants her a halo. The martial artist may have up to (higher of 2 or her Essence rating) in halos, up to a maximum of five, with each one adding +1 to her Resolve. Special activation rules: Whenever the martial artist begins her turn in close range of three or more non-trivial opponents, or in the space filled by a battle group, she may reflexively activate White Reaper Form. Bleeding Crescent Strike * Cost: 5m; * Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; * Type: Supplemental * Keywords: Mastery, Terrestrial, Uniform * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: White Reaper Form Condensing the swirling corona around her into a single, blindingly bright line, the White Reaper suddenly strikes with preternatural accuracy. Bleeding Crescent Strike doubles up to (Strength) 9s on an attack roll. When attacking a battle group, she adds its Size to the number of dice that can be doubled, and may double 8s as well as 9s. While White Reaper Form is active, Bleeding Crescent Strike adds one die to the attack roll for each halo the martial artist has. However, at the end of the turn, all halos the martial artist has burn away into wisps of silver Essence, consumed by the ferocity of the attack (except for any halos received as a result of making the attack). Enemies Like Grass * Cost: 10m, 1wp; * Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; * Type: Simple * Keywords: Dual, Terrestrial * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: White Reaper Form The martial artist swings her scythe through the ranks of her foes, trailing argent afterimages as she waters the earth with blood. Enemies Like Grass allows the martial artist to make a decisive attack against up to two separate enemies, making a single attack roll but rolling damage separately. Each attack has a base damage of the martial artist’s Strength, and her Initiative is divided evenly among them. She does not reset to base Initiative until she has completed all attacks in this deadly onslaught. Alternatively, she may choose to make two withering attacks against a battle group, rolling each attack individually. While White Reaper Form is active, Enemies Like Grass allows the martial artist to make an additional attack—''decisive'' or withering—for every halo she has. However, at the end of the turn, all halos burn away, as with Bleeding Crescent Strike. Flickering Corona Barrier * Cost: 2m; * Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; * Type: Reflexive * Keywords: Mastery, Uniform * Duration: Instant * Prerequisite Charms: White Reaper Form Executing a lightning-fast kata, the White Reaper bends the arcing nimbus of power around herself into a flickering shield. Flickering Corona Barrier adds +1 to the martial artist’s Parry against an attack. If the martial artist is defending against a battle group, that group does not add its Size to the attack roll. While White Reaper Form is active, the martial artist may expend all her halos to add (halos expended) to her Parry as well. Mastery: The Solar may activate this Charm after her opponent has rolled his attack. Impenetrable White Shroud * Cost: 4m, 1wp; * Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 1; * Type: Reflexive * Keywords: None * Duration: One scene * Prerequisite Charms: Flickering Corona Barrier Taking a deep, measured breath, the martial artist draws the flickering aura of power around her tight against her skin. Impenetrable White Shroud adds (2 + halosx2) to the soak of any armor the martial artist wears. If she is unarmored, she instead adds (3 + x3) soak, and gains (halos x2) hardness. In addition, battle groups do not add their Size to the raw damage of attacks made against her. Sorcery Terrestrial Circle Stormwind Rider * Control Spell * Cost: 15sm, 1wp * Keywords: - * Duration: 1 Hour Conjures a servile dust devil flying mount. Wits+Occult for movement while mounted. Carries Essensce x 2 additional characters or 100lbs in place of a passenger. Cannot fly more than a short range off the ground, but has a top speed of nearly 100 m/h. Counts as light cover. Powers * Enduring Tempest (5m; Reflexive; Instant) – Sustains Stormwind Rider for another hour. * Zephyr Rush (1m, 1wp; Supplemental; Instant) – Allows movement of up to two range bands with a single movement action in combat, or doubling 8s on one interval of a race. Control Spell Effects – Buffeted by winds whenever beset by strong emotions, vertical leap covers single range band as movement action (can be 3 done three times before needing to rest per Stamina) Shaping Rituals The Talisman of Ten Thousand Eyes * Spend 1 Willpower when Awareness roll to Join Battle or Notice a Hidden Threat to gain 1 sorcerous mote per 2 successes. Apply Occult bonus when fighting or searching for malevolent sorcerous forces. * Stunting First Shape Sorcery Action with talisman employment causes gain of (stunt rating + 2) sorcerous motes towards completing spell. Applies once per Scene, except in case of Control Spell. * Spend a Scene in meditation to commit 10 motes to talisman. When shaping a spell (essence + 2) motes may be drawn from talisman into the spell until spell is cast or all motes are drawn. Control Spell gains 2 sorcerous motes per talisman mote. Equipment Weapons Armor The Memory Stone Keywords: Linked This hearthstone is outwardly clear and colorless, with a shifting prismatic radiance held deep within. It perfectly reflects and stores all of its bearer’s memories within its facets, so long as it resides within an attuned hearthstone socket and those memories were made while carrying the stone. The bearer of the Memory Stone may draw pristine recollections from the stone’s depths whenever she chooses, granting her perfect recall. If the stone ever falls from attunement for more than a day, all stored memories within it fade away, and the stone’s former master must once more rely upon her own fallible recollections. Category:Player Characters Category:Chiaroscuro Nights Characters Category:Exalted